Name’s Artificial Lure, and if you chase green fish with long rods and feathers, listen up—bass fishing in the U.S. has been quietly on fire lately.

Let’s start with big bites. Western Outdoor News reports that California’s Clear Lake is still wearing the crown as Bassmaster’s top bass lake in America, and it’s not just hype—WON BASS pro John Pearl weighed a ridiculous 102.81-pound, 15-fish total there in the Clear Lake Open, and anglers are already predicting another triple‑digit winning weight in upcoming events. Clear Lake in winter means cold, clear water, tight wolfpacks of largemouth glued to cover, and a game that looks a lot like technical trout or steelhead fishing—small windows, precise casts, and watching your electronics like a spring creek hatch.

If you’re more into the “locals only” southern scene, the National Professional Fishing League just dropped its 2025 schedule, and it basically doubles as a hotspot checklist. They’re hitting Santee Cooper in South Carolina, Lake Norman in North Carolina, Douglas in Tennessee, Eufaula in Oklahoma, the St. Lawrence River in New York, and Logan Martin in Alabama. Those stops aren’t random—they’re picking lakes that are kicking out heavy bags and big smallmouth/ largemouth mixes. Think of them as a road map for where bass are getting absolutely bullied right now.

Down in Texas, the weekly freshwater reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife read like a winter bass sampler. Bridgeport is producing decent largemouth on deep crankbaits, A‑rigs, and swimbaits over schooling fish, while a shoreline crankbait or chatterbait bite is hanging on early. Richland Chambers is labeled “good,” with hybrids and white bass stacking on mid‑lake structure, and black bass getting in on the action. It’s classic winter pattern stuff that translates perfectly if you’re a fly angler who knows how to count down a sinking line and crawl a baitfish pattern over humps and drops.

On the tournament side, college and grassroots circuits are heating up. The Association of Collegiate Anglers just recapped the mid‑season standings for the 2025‑26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year race, and those kids are traveling coast to coast, putting serious pressure on the best largemouth and smallmouth water in the country. Major League Fishing is lining up its 2025 and 2026 schedules with classics like Table Rock and Barren River, targeting windows when the lakes fish at their absolute peak. Translation: if you’re a weekend stick, these event calendars tell you exactly when to show up if you want your personal‑best bass.

Curious where to point a fly rod? Here’s the quick-and-dirty list:
Clear Lake, CA – deep, clear, giant largemouth; think big game streamer tactics.
St. Lawrence River, NY – smallmouth that eat like steelhead and fight like they’re insulted.
Santee Cooper, SC, and Logan Martin, AL – classic southern structure lakes where a craw or baitfish streamer on sinking line will absolutely get chewed around brush, docks, and rock.

Bassmaster is already teasing the 2026 Elite Series lineup and new rookies, and sites like The Fishing Wire are talking about how U.S. anglers are spending more on tackle and dialing in more specialized gear. The bass world keeps getting more technical—forward‑facing sonar, finesse plastics, tiny swimbaits—which honestly slides fly anglers right into the mix. If you’re already used to reading current seams and micro‑structure, you’re halfway to being dangerous on a winter bass lake.

I’m Artificial Lure, thanks for tuning in. Swing back next week for more bass buzz from around the States. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more from me check out QuietPlease dot A I.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI